Chapter 182 

The sadness in his words was palpable, but I didn’t know how to respond. 

I stayed quiet, hoping my presence was enough to comfort him, even if I couldn’t give him the answers he sought. 

Third POV: 

Meanwhile, in the hospital room, Derrick lay in his bed, propped up by pillows, looking utterly bored. 

His leg was bandaged from a minor injury, but otherwise, he seemed perfectly fine. 

glanced over at Ceccily, who was sitting beside him, peeling an apple with methodical precision. 

“Mom, this is so boring.” Derrick groaned, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine. I don’t need to be in this stupid hospital.” 

Ceccily didn’t look up from her task. 

“You need to stay here and look like you’re injured,” she said, her voice cold and matter–of–fact. “You need to keep up appearances, so Andrew continues to feel guilty about what happened. And so he starts to suspect Leo.” 

Derrick sighed dramatically, leaning his head back against the pillow. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But do I really have to stay here the whole time? I can’t take it anymore.” 

Ceccily’s knife slipped slightly, and she gave him a warning glance. 

“You need to act like you’re in pain, Derrick. Even if you’re not. We need to make Andrew feel guilty enough to push Leo out of the way. The more he believes Leo had something to do with this, the easier it will be for us to take control of Silvermoon.” 

Derrick groaned again, clearly annoyed. 

But then, as if remembering something, he sat up a little straighter and glanced at his mother. 

“Did you mention me to Elizabeth ?” 

Ceccily’s expression shifted, a cold smile curling her lips. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “Elizabeth is not interested in you. She never was.” 

Derrick’s face fell slightly, disappointment flickering in his eyes. 

But then, with a shrug, he pushed the thought aside. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said with a smirk. “When Leo is out of the way, everything in Silvermoon will be mine anyway. Including his Luna.” 

Ceccily didn’t respond to that. 

She continued peeling the apple, her movements smooth and controlled. 

Derrick, on the other hand, seemed to grow more uneasy as the silence stretched between them. 

“Mom,” he said hesitantly after a few moments. “Aren’t we making too much of a mess this time? The plan was just for me to pretend to be injured. But… so many people died in that explosion.” 

Ceccily didn’t even blink. She gave him a flat look and said, “If you don’t have the guts to handle this, how do you expect to become an Alpha? If you want to lead the Silvermoon Pack, you need to be prepared for sacrifices. Just compensate the families and move on.” 

Derrick nodded, though he still looked troubled. 

His bravado from earlier had faded, replaced by uncertainty. 

He shifted uncomfortably in his bed, his fingers tapping nervously against the blanket. 

Chapter 182 

Finally, he asked the question that had clearly been weighing on his mind. 

“Mom, what if Andrew finds out… that I’m not his biological son? What do we do then?” 

“Shut up,” Ceccily snapped, cutting him off mid–sentence. Her tone was cold, razor–sharp. 

“This matter is “firmly” off the table.” 

Derrick flinched at her words, glancing down nervously. “But-” 

” 

“I said shut up, Derrick!” she hissed, stepping closer, her eyes blazing with a fierce warning. 

“Do you want to ruin everything we’ve worked for? You keep your mouth shut about this. Understand?” 

rick swallowed hard, nodding, realizing any further questioning would be useless. 

Ceccily’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, her expression unyielding. 

“We’re not talking about this again,” she added, her voice deadly calm. “Now act like you have some sense.” 

Elizabeth’s POV 

As Leo’s suspicions deepened about the recent attacks, we both realized that something much bigger was unfolding around us. 

Both he and I had been targeted, and now, he’d sent trusted pack members to protect Daria and Caroline. 

Today is the day I visit Caroline. I always find some peace with her. 

When I arrived at Caroline’s house, she greeted me warmly. 

Her home was cozy and quiet, filled with the gentle scent of flowers and freshly brewed tea. 

As we settled into conversation, catching up on mundane things, my eyes landed on the piano standing in the corner of her living room. 

The sight of it stirred an old memory, one I hadn’t thought about in years. 

Suddenly, I recalled an incident from years ago. 

Leo had once passed out during combat training, and he had been revived by the sound of music–a piano, specifically. 

I turned to Caroline, my curiosity piqued. 

“Caroline,” I began, nodding toward the piano, “Do you know about that time Leo passed out during training? I heard he woke up to the sound of the piano.” 

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